The COOPERHAF rural housing cooperative was established in 2001 by the Workers' Federation of Family-Based Agriculture (FETRAF-SUL/CUT) to address the critical housing needs of very low-income agricultural families in Brazil. A participatory approach is used to mobilise and organise families and help them build, improve or expand their homes.

The project is community led and managed and construction work is carried out by the families themselves through self-build with the help of a mason and COOPERHAF'S technical team. Families are assisted in accessing funding from existing government housing programmes, as well as affordable credit. The project also focuses on creating sustainable livelihoods through capacity building, forming cooperatives and diversifying agricultural production thereby increasing income generation opportunities and ensuring food security. Originally established in three states of southern Brazil, the project has expanded to cover 12 of the 26 Brazilian states and has worked with over 30,000 low-income families to date.

The main objective of the project is to develop sustainable solutions for small independent and family farmers across the country, through a comprehensive approach to habitat and livelihoods that includes housing as its starting point. Additional aims include building capacity and strengthening organisations of family farmers, increasing awareness and understanding that housing is a right and that rural workers deserve to live with dignity, debating issues regarding the social division of work and the role of women in decision-making processes, generating additional income for small farmers through the establishment of cooperatives and emphasising the importance of production for self-consumption.

See Details at: The World Habitat Awards

Please enjoy our interview with Sra. Adriana Paola Paredes Peñafiel, project director with COOPERHAF in Brazil.

1) Are you incorporating solar power? What type(s)? What about re-use technologies for grey water? Are the new housing clusters off the utility grid?

We do not work these tequniques.

2) Is there a green movement in Brazil?

The green movement in Brazil has been strengthening itself during the last years, especially after the mobilisation of Chico Mendes on the Amazon Forest. Also, since the end of the Dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985) and the opening of new parties, the Green Party emerged.

3) Is sustainability like a religion?

Actually, the word "sustainability" can be used in many ways in different discourses, even as a justification for continuing using energy. That's why I do not like to use word. The main feature of COOPERHAF consists in dealing with a more complex definition of housing. Our project goes "beyond" the house because draws attention to the importance of alternatives that may reduce vulnerability and poverty. Diversification is one of the strategies that are discussed together with the families in order to reduce seasonal income variability. Seasonal migration to other agricultural areas may be one option.

Furthermore, production for self consumption is also important because it guarantees that food supply for the family if crops suffer failure. Moreover, the project emphasizes the importance of the investment in a garden because it deals with the self - esteem of families. So, we look for the social reproduction of family farmers who contribute with the 70% of our national consumption (food) in Brazil. It is a national issue.

4) What are some of the new stories and symbols coming out of this effort?

The main symbols are family farming: HANDS THAT FEED THE NATION.

5) Do you know about the New Urbanism? How is COOPERHAF integrating the new roads and infrastructure that come with the expansion of the community housing?

Actually, our work does not work like that. Our aim is accessing housing. And all our technology is based in how to do it without being reproducing assistencialism. Right now, COOPERHAF's is attending urban people too, since they can not afford a house.

6) What is the level of private investment in the housing strategy? Is this Cresol Central Bank?

The programmes we work require a counterpart contribution from families that varies between US$640 and US$2,135 depending on the programme and size of the home. The total cost per unit (for new construction) therefore varies between US$3,200 and US$4,696 and covers building materials and labour, as well as technical assistance. Families contribute their labour as well as the counterpart, which can be paid through residents' own savings, loans from banks such as the Cresol Central bank or grants received from different agencies. Cresol is also a cooperative. Farmers founded Cresol.

7) Tell us more about the "digital intranet system" which is used in partnership with community leaders to monitor the project's activities in each of the municipalities.

COOPERHAF has developed an Informatics System since 2005. It was launched in 2006. This System aims to monitor actions in every municipally that is inside of our action area. Each professional might see ONLINE how construction is going on and how many meeting of the Social Projected has been achieved per group because responsible of Syndicates send pictures and reports via System. It is useful in order to determinate problems. Syndicates have been empowered by many courses about how to use the System.

8) How many ways are you transferring the technology and communication protocols to other States?

The work of COOPERHAF began in 2001 with one project for 357 families and gradually expanded its work to the three southern states of Brazil, reaching 55 municipalities in the state of Paraná, 120 municipalities in Santa Catarina and 85 municipalities in Rio Grande to Sul. In response to a growing demand, COOPERHAF began in 2006 to work in partnership with the FETRAF-BRASIL federation to adapt and transfer the approach to an additional 09 states across the country, thereby working in 12 of Brazil's 26 states. Affiliate offices have been set up in each state, employing a small team of local professionals as well as local leaders to work as municipal coordinators, provide local knowledge and adapt the approach to each state's specific circumstances.

The project is adapted according to each particular context (e.g. available local materials, existing funding schemes at municipal and state levels, climatic conditions, etc). A special replication unit has been set up within the headquarters of the housing cooperative to ensure that the approach is adapted to address the different economic, social, environmental, cultural and political conditions of the various states where the transfer is taking place.

9) What are the positive and negative impacts on the women who participate in the program?

Couples are compromised to participate in each meeting of the Social Project. Each couple choose the model to be implemented and its mason who sometimes is also a family farmer who practices off-farm activities (pluriactivity). In case of restructurings, families still live inside the house or near the house so they might supervise the ongoing process. Referring to construction, they live near the place where the house will be built. Woman has to participate in every phase.

Moreover, lots of women are local leaders who work as "agents of development" in our Social Project. The agent of development is the local leader that is empowered in various topics about techniques of construction and rural development but since he knows the reality of the municipality we conduct discussions using his knowledge about the region. It is useful to make links between livelihood strategies and real practices in Agriculture in order make connections among macroeconomic policies and micro level livelihood adaptations.

10) How are you training the trainers and local coordinators?

By workshops, in which our teams are trained. The teams are responsible for training their leaders within the State.

Connections:

Sra. Adriana Paola Paredes Peñafiel
Assessora de Projetos
Cooperativa de Habitação dos Agricultores Familiares (COOPERHAF)
Servidão Capivari 94E
Bairro Universitário
Chapecó, Santa Catarina
CEP: 89812-040
BRAZIL
Adrianitaperu at hotmail dot com